Ask the Celebrity Trainer: Top 3 Moves for a Strong, Sexy Back

The Secret for a Bangin' Backside

Q: What are your three favorite exercises for targeting the upper back?

A: I love seeing a sculpted, sexy upper back on a woman, especially when she's wearing a beautiful dress that shows it off. But unfortunately many women (and men) overlook training their upper back simply because they don’t see it when they look in the mirror. From an aesthetic point of view, strengthening the muscles in your upper back and shoulders will have a tremendous impact on your posture, which is a commonly undervalued component of improving the way you look. In fact, great posture can even make you look leaner without losing any body fat at all.

While dropping body fat and gaining lean muscle are both extremely important for getting the body you want, I’ve seen plenty of lean people who have terrible posture that diminishes their overall appearance. Read on for my three favorite exercises to target this area.

Cable Face Pull with External Rotation

Attach a rope handle to a high cable pulley. Grab each end of the rope so your hands are shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other, and the ends of the rope are on the inside of your hands, near your thumbs.

Take a few steps away form the cable station so there is tension on the rope, and let your arms extend toward the pulley.

Get into the position, with a tall torso, chest up, and shoulders down. Your feet should be planted firmly on the floor, with one foot slightly behind the other to brace yourself. Tighten your core before starting.

Initiate the movement by pulling the weight towards your face until your elbows are just behind your shoulders. Spread the rope as you pull.

At the end of the motion, think about driving your thumbs behind you while keeping your upper arm still.

Return the weight to the starting position with control until your arms are fully extended. Pause and repeat.

Trap 3 Dumbbell Raises

Grab a single, light dumbbell and stand behind an incline bench set to at least 60 degrees.

Get into position by placing your free arm on the top of the bench, resting your forearm on the pad. Then, move your feet slightly away from the bench. Get into a staggered stance with your foot closest to the arm on the bench, slightly in front of the other foot.

Place your head on your forearm, letting your torso come forward, and let your arm holding the dumbbell hang towards the floor with your thumb pointing on a diagonal away from your body.